The 10 Most Aussie Sayings Ever

By Daniel Colasimone - 22 May 2017

The Australian version of the English language is a rich tapestry, full of colourful words and phrases which have obvious meanings to the locals, but are basically incomprehensible to anyone else.

To make things easier for visitors trying to understand what the bejeezus everyone is talking about, here is a list of some of the most fully Aussiest of Aussie phrases.

Yeah, nah

Perhaps the most beautiful expression in the Australian vernacular. No two words in the English language, when placed next to each other, convey such depth of meaning. A true translation would take 400 pages of text, but here is a brief synopsis of the meaning [example in brackets]:

Well, my friend, I find your proposal [of borrowing my car for a road trip] quite interesting. I assure you I did consider it on its merits; I thought about the pros and cons of what you put forward [your promise to give me a six pack and bring the car back with a full tank, versus the very high chance you will get caught speeding, leave behind empty Gatorade bottles, chip packets and the smell of cigarette smoke, damage the car in some way or wreck it completely]. Having weighed up the offer, I must politely and with great regret, decline. [You are not going anywhere near my car]. I trust that, even though you may be disappointed, you can understand my position on this matter.

In other words: ‘Yeah, nah.’

Go off like a frog in a sock

A mysterious phrase meaning that something—a party, for example—is particularly entertaining and vibrant. Though it’s hard to trace its origins precisely, you have to imagine that at some point, some curious little Aussie put an actual frog in an actual sock, and those who witnessed it were all in agreement that it ‘went off’.

Have a root

To engage in sexual intercourse. A convenient expression that can be used in the following pick-up line, which has a 100% success rate: ‘Hey, have you ever tripped over a tree branch? How about a root?’

Have a squiz

To take a look at something. Sounds perfectly natural to Australians but to everyone else it kind of sounds like you need urinate.

Australian in an office environment: ‘Let me have a squiz at that when you’re done.’

German work colleague: ‘Why do you want to do wee wee on the report?’

Pull ya head in

In Australian culture, one must never overstep one’s boundaries. A footballer, for example, who decides to express a political opinion will be told to ‘pull his head in’ by all and sundry. The concern is obviously that, like a tortoise which extends its neck too far, the footballer is exposing himself to being attacked and killed by a wily predator.

Having a Barry Crocker

This is rhyming slang for ‘having a shocker’; basically, putting in a very poor performance. It’s used somewhat ironically as Barry Crocker was one of the greatest performers and entertainers Australia has ever produced. The suave and sexy crooner was known for such megahits as Just the Way You Look Tonight, You’re My World, and the Neighbours theme tune.

Ta

In the rest of the world ‘ta’ is taught to babies because thank-you is too difficult to say. In Australia adult people use ‘ta’ because thank-you is too difficult to say.

Sweet as

Meaning ‘that is very good news’ or ‘I am happy with that’, this expression tantalisingly declines to reveal the end of the simile. Sweet as what? Nectar? Honey? A Portuguese tart? A child’s smile? A first kiss? A litter of sleeping French bulldog puppies? It’s fun to imagine how people could finish their sentence.

Tradesman 1: Mate I gotta call the missus, you right to finish this?

Tradesman 2: Sweet as [the twinkle in my nan’s eyes].

Booze bus

One of those phrases that sounds great but can often lead to disappointment and/or legal problems. A booze bus is not, in fact, a party bus where booze is served. It is actually a police check-point where drivers are tested for the amount of alcohol in their blood. Do NOT dance up to the booze bus and ask where ‘the farken sugarcane champagnes are at’.

Fark me dead

A confusing and slightly disturbing expression that has nothing to do with sexual intercourse, or even death for that matter. It is simply to convey a sense of surprise. So if you hear someone at the pub say, ‘fark me dead, the Saints are already down by 25’ there is no need to check on the welfare of the utterer, or notify the special crimes unit.

Righto

Kind of like yeah, nah—righto is a simple-looking word that contains a complex set of meanings. In this case, it’s mostly dependent on how it is delivered. Here are some variations on what it can mean:

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By Daniel Colasimone

You think darkness is your ally? Dan was born in it, moulded by it. He didn’t see the light until he was already a man. Raised on the mean streets of Bundaberg, he has ended up in Brisbane by way of Italy, South Korea, Argentina and a few other places. When not covering sportsy stuff for the ABC, he writes a fortnightly column for The Urban List on the world of man stuff. Twitter: @DanColasimone